A 37-year-old transient was charged Thursday with attempting to rape two women in a bathroom at the train station in Santa Ana.
Jesse Danilo Rodas was charged with two counts of attempted forcible rape, two counts of assault with the intent to commit a sex offense, two counts of false imprisonment, all felonies, and two misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure.
The attacks happened just after 3 p.m., Tuesday, at the train station in the 1000 block of East Santa Ana Boulevard, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.
The two alleged victims, who did not know each other, encountered the suspect in the woman’s bathroom, Bertagna said. Rodas said he wasn’t aware if it was the woman’s restroom and left, but returned a short time later, Bertagna said.
As one of the women emerged from a bathroom stall, she saw Rodas with his pants down and aroused, Bertagna said. He allegedly grabbed her by the arm and attempted to force her back in, Bertagna said.
When the other woman attempted to help the other victim, Rodas allegedly attempted to push her back into the stall as well, Bertagna said.
“Between the two of them they were able to get away, and a security guard outside the bathroom locked the door with the suspect inside until police arrived,” Bertagna said.